Sitting Among Sakura Petals
by Caedmon O'Halloran
Summary: Byakuya is forced to take a wife by the elders of his clan and she several years younger than him. Can he overcome his love for Hisana or will his new wife forever be in the dark? OC/CC. Mentions of abuse.
1. Chapter 1

Scattered: Byakuya is pushed into a marriage with a young woman who may or may not be good for him.

Info: This story takes place after Ichigo gets his powers back and before the Vadenreich show up in the series, they're not a part of this story.

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The elders had told him that this would happen. Sooner or later, he would have to take another bride whether he wished to or not. Preferably, he would rather not. It felt too much like cheating to him. Either way, the day was bright and he had to meet with his new young fiancee. She was several years younger than he was, being only a few years younger than Rukia, making things just a bit more awkward for him. Sighing to himself, he made his way to the manor. A part of him believed that it would be best that he finally let go of Hisana and move on with another. He knew she would want that. But.. letting her go was too hard. He couldn't. It was the most difficult thing he had ever to do in his life, perhaps even more. He was conflicted with whether to follow his promise to protect Rukia or obey the rules that he vowed on his parents' grave.

There, at the gates of the Kuchiki manor, to hear the final date of the arranged marriage, was Shinra. She wore a fine silk kimono and looked far more uncomfortable than any noble woman he had ever seen. Her hair was long, to her elbows, and as dark as the midnight sky with bright blue eyes that seemed to hold small galaxies in them. The look in them was troubled, nervous, and oddly tired. If one were to ask her, she would have admitted to hearing several stories about Byakuya and his lieutenant when she was younger and found it hard to believe that she was engaged to him.

The Captain wasn't far from the entrance when he saw Rukia leave the manor to greet them. Shinra was around her height, from what he could see and just short of fidgeting. "Nii-sama will be with you shortly. I am his sister, Kuchiki Rukia," he heard her say, bowing to the young woman that was to be his wife soon enough. Shinra made a show of bowing deeply to Rukia, partially stopped by a tall, gangly looking man who was far more impatient than need be.

"Kartikeya Baku, a pleasure, I'm sure. May I inquire as to when he will arrive? I have several other matters to attend to and I was lead to believe that my daughter would have to stay here until the date of the wedding," he said, his daughter looking away. He was very forward, bordering on rude. Byakuya sighed and shunpo'd to the gates, watching them for a moment before introducing himself, "Greetings. It is a pleasure to meet you both. I am Byakuya Kuchiki."

Shinra had been about to tell her father to be quiet when Byakuya arrived. She had to keep from looking at him for too long, he was incredibly handsome, even moreso than she was expecting. His height nearly dwarfed her, she only came up to his mid-chest and his hair was framing the most elegant face she had ever seen. Immediately, she felt inferior to him in every sense of the word. She wasn't nearly as old as he was, she highly doubted that she was in the same age group at all, but her father was far more interested in getting in with the Kuchiki clan even if it were just for the reputation.

From what she had heard, her father stood to lose a lot in this contract; land, money, his daughter and the old libraries that held valuable information on the history of Seireitei. Her father prided himself on having war documents from the beginning of Seireitei, but she had never had the privelage of seeing them. Said father grinned and bowed to Byakuya as well as his daughter did. "Kartikeya Baku and my daughter, Shinra. I have to say, it's a pleasure to meet you and your sister as well. We've arrived to discuss the contract as well as where you would like me to have my daughter stay, close by or at home with me," he answered, being far too forward and acting as if meeting them were anything but pleasurable. Baku was a rather rude fellow if this meeting were anything to go by.

Shinra frowned at her father's behavior and sighed, turning blue eyes toward him. "Please father, allow the man to breathe before you begin badgering him with business," she said gently, not missing the angry glint in Baku's eye at her chastising. If they had been alone, he would have hit her for it. Rukia, being as perceptive as ever, picked up on it as well, the young woman's hand going to the hilt of her zanpakuto the moment he turned to glare at his daughter.

Byakuya didn't miss the angry glint in Baku's eye and face, he could easily tell that the man would lay harm to his own daughter. Byakuya sent Rukia a look the moment he saw her about to draw her zanpakuto. Something like that couldn't be allowed to happen. The father struck him as prideful and arrogant, the man most likely wanted this marriage just to be a part of the Kuchiki family, however, Shinra didn't seem the type. However, he had heard that appearances could be very deceiving.

"Very well, Shinra," Baku ground out, returning to his polite demeanor. It was an act. He was good at it for a time, but Byakuya wasn't one to fall for such things. He would normally choose to send them packing, however, he was a bit concerned that such a thing might cause Shinra to be harmed to a great extent by this man. Rukia would probably pick up on that as well. Shinra wound her hands together in front of her and let them rest on the silver and blue kimono, trying to make herself less of a threat as possible.

"It is no concern, for I am well. As for where she will stay, I would prefer that she lives in the manor so that she may become better accustomed to the clan's laws," Byakuya answered. It was partially true, but it was also a good way to keep her away from her father. Byakuya didn't trust her father as far as he could throw Renji.

Upon hearing Byakuya speak, Shinra felt a wave of relief was through her. She would at least get an adjustment period as well as away from her father. Technically speaking, they were being absorbed into the Kuchiki clan through the marriage seeing as how hers was very small and not very well known other than being the librarians of the spirit realm. They weren't necessary.

Shinra's father picked this moment to play with his own clothing, readjusting it before smiling and gripping his daughter's shoulder painfully. "That is wonderful to hear, both accounts actually," he said in response to Byakuya. "So, is there a date that you favor? What will I need to provide for the wedding?"

Shinra almost tuned out of the conversation. She took favor in examining the swords at Byakuya and Rukia's hips. Her father had never allowed her to take part in anything to do with the Shin-o Academy, finding that it would be unseemly for a lady to do so. Unknown to her father, she did pick up kido from a servant at the house. Her father caught her line of sight and squeezed hard enough to make her flinch, making her eyes flicker to Byakuya's in slight panic. She couldn't stand much more.

Byakuya showed no emotion on his face, but he was beginning to grow impatient with Baku. Was he really hurting his own daughter in front of him? Byakuya had seen this before and could tell almost instantly. However, being the head of the Kuchiki clan and still not having let go of Hisana, he wouldn't marry someone out of pity, despite the pleading look that Shinra had given him.

"We will inform you of the date when the clan had decided. For now, she is to remain in this manor. A servant shall be sent to retrieve her belongings. If all has been settled, good day," Byakuya stated as he began to enter his manor, leaving them alone.

Her father seemed to be a bit surprised at how quickly the matter had been attended to. Baku nodded and glanced at his daughter. "You are to be respectful. Tell the man anything he wishes to know for you will not be permitted to have secrets once you are wed to him," he said, not bidding her farewell as he left the Kuchiki manor. Beside her, Rukia ran her hands along Shinra's shoulders, a distinct frown on her face as Byakuya swept past them and on into the house.

"Nii-sama was becoming impatient. He doesn't like that your father had the audacity to treat you like that in front of im. Just be respectful and truthful and you'll do just fine here," she said, then smiled at Shinra. "Besides, it will be nice to have another sister."

Another...? Shinra didn't ask but she did allow Rukia to lead her up to the manor and showed her around. They were in the gardens when Rukia requested tea and had Shinra sit with her. "So, what do you think about this? The marriage, I mean," she asked, watching Shinra.

"I believe that the information my family holds will be beneficial for your clan as well as the added land. I can assure you that I will do nothing to harm the Kuchiki name." Rukia nodded and gave a low laugh.

"Really, I would be more worried about your father doing that than you. He seemed the type to act before he thinks." Her observation wasn't too far-fetched to be honest.

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And so, it happened. Byakuya was now married to Shinra and she now had the 'Kuchiki' name with her. The time he spent with her was rather enjoyable but he felt quilty. He felt as though he were betraying Hisana and it actually hurt to think that. However, he could not go against the wishes of his clan. They desired a new heir and he was obligated to take it.

He did not know if Shinra felt anything for him, he hadn't bothered to ask. What if she had a lover and this marriage had broken the other man's heart? There wasn't anything that he could do about it now though. Byakuya was her husband and she was his wife. Shinra Kuchiki.

Shinra didn't know what to think. She stood there letting the servants pull the silk and lace off of her body and replace it with a simple white kimono. People that she hadn't known had been there. His lieutenant, Renji, had coupled with a few from the Eleventh Division to pull a few light hearted pranks on his Captain than had nearly gotten him thrown out. Other than that, it had been a very elegant and gentle affair and she had met quite a few people.

Shivering in the quietness of the room, she wondered just how they were going to do this. She knew she had to allow him to consummate the marriage, but it was... awkward. She was a virgin and he had done this before, he had more experience than she did. What if he didn't want her because of that? Was he still in love with his former wife? Closing her eyes, Shinra turned and moved into the bedroom, trying to calm her breathing to a reasonable speed. Hyperventilating would get her nowhere in this instance.

Byakuya was silently meditating the situation he was in. He had to consummate his marriage with Shinra tonight and he couldn't back out, it simply wasn't a choice. She was to be the mother of his children and that was final. It was a sacred law that the bride of the Kuchiki clan leader be a virgin, so he knew that he would be taking away her innocence tonight. Although, that didn't mean that he wished to.

Turning to his new wife, who had just entered the room, he could tell that she was nervous about this. "Are you afraid?" he asked, watching her silently.

Shinra shivered at the sound of his voice but turned to look at him. He seemed a bit more composed than she had seen him earlier, far less upset at the very least. She had no idea what in the world to expect in this instance other than the sexual part of it, but she was as prepared as she possibly could be. She had studied about it, as nerdy as that may sound, and she was far more worried about actually doing it. Courage was the thing here.

"Not so much afraid as I am nervous. I just hope that I will be able to pleasure you at the very least," she answered. She knew for a fact that after tonight, from the special kido used, she would be pregnant. If she could do that, then remain companionable to him for the rest of their time together, then maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

Byakuya nodded. She was really going to go through this and was more concerned about whether she would be able to please him at all? It confused him, but it was time.

"Very well," Byakuya said as he approached her. He gently held her shoulders and kissed her to initiate it. He needed to do this. He vowed to his parents' grave that he would obey the clan laws. He couldn't allow his feelings for Hisana to get the best of him on this. He wouldn't make Shinra feel displeased either. While shew as worried about not being able to pleasure him, Byakuya would work to please her as best as he could.

Shinra wasn't used to being so blatantly touched. This was a huge part of it that she needed to get used to and she had the feeling that this may be the night her senses went into an overload. Feeling his lips upon her own, she marveled at how gentle he was as well as how soft his lips were. If she had been blindfolded, she would have believed that she were kissing the petals of one of the sakura trees outside in the garden.

However, that would have been an insult to the masculinity of this man.

Pulling herself together, she had to be sure that she wouldn't melt upon further contact. She had to remain sturdy so that she would be able to do what would help him to get through this. Responding in kind to his advances, she laid her hands upon his chest gently, working at his clothes to do what she could to help him out of them. She wanted to see what she would be looking at for the rest of her life.

Byakuya slowly pushed Shinra down on the bed, still connected through the kiss. As she was working on his clothes, he moved his hands to slowly remove the white kimono from her until she would be completely naked underneath him. Chosing to go further, he moved down to her neck and planted more kisses on her. As he was doing it, the image of Hisana kept flashing through his mind. He gently caressed her face and stroked her hair.

While she had been laid down, Shinra was able to get a small glimpse of him before he broke away from her after ridding her of her clothes. She shivered at the temperature change and sighed lightly at the kisses going down her neck. The sudden gentleness wasn't lost on her. As long as she didn't speak, then he would be able to keep up whatever fantasy he had put into his mind, if there even was one. As his hands ran over her face and hair, she gave tiny kisses to his skin, letting her legs spread around his hips to allow him to rest against her more comfortably.

Shinra couldn't help her body's natural reaction to the touches, the normal burning in her lower stomach had intensified to the point of being unbearable just as her nipples became hard enough to be felt against his chest. A blush had settled across her cheeks and she found it hard to keep her breathing normal. Her hands went to his back and up to his hair, Shinra had wanted to touch it since he had began speaking to her in a less formal way. It was like silk and she had expected nothing less from him.

Byakuya moved and got off of her for a moment, allowing a bit of his own clothes to drop to reveal himself now shirtless. He would remove the last of his clothing a little later. For a moment, he looked down on her to admire Shinra's beauty now that she was free from her clothing. Her innocence and the thought that he would be the only one to ever do this to her caused his cock to twitch in desire. Even though he loved Hisana still, he was a man.

Leaning back down to Shinra, he kissed her, letting his hands trail all over her sensitive skin to eventually rest on her breast. Trailing kisses down until he took her other breast and placed her nipple in his mouth, giving it a light suck, his other hand worked the other until he reached to grasp her hand. The cold metal of her wedding set surprising him for a moment.

When he had moved away from her, Shinra had just been about to ask what it was that she had done wrong when he noticed that he was simply removing his clothing. Her eyes took in his figure and she couldn't help but become ridiculously impressed. Fighting Hollows and being a Captain of the Gotei 13 had done wonders for him. Really, now that she had seen him, everyone else would have paled in comparison, even his lieutenant who was more often than not shirtless around the manor. Speaking of, if he were in the house right then, she wouldn't have been surprised at all.

She returned the kiss and ran her fingers through his hair again before gasping at the feeling of his mouth on her. The shocks that went through her were surprising and sharp enough to cause her to arch at the feeling. Then his hands were moving, one to her own hand, which grasped at his tightly, while she had to bite her lip at the feeling of his other hand and mouth on her chest. With her one free hand, she ran her palm against his back, almost on the verge of calling his name aloud.

Byakuya continued his treatment for a few minutes, becoming aroused in the process. His manhood began to harden underneath his pants, which felt tighter now. He lifted his head and went to the other nipple while the hand that had held that breast moved down and made its way down to her womanhood as he stroked her clitoris. She couldn't keep the noises from leaving her once he started to touch her. Shinra hadn't expected anything to be that intense, especially not to the point of making her try to move closer to him like this. She was already quite wet from his ministrations so when his finger pushed into her, she gasped loudly

Shinra vaguely wondered to herself if it were a good indicator of what to expect for later, it most likely was.

Moving her hand from his back, she slipped it toward his hips, beginning to undo the pants so that she could touch him as well. She didn't want to sit idle during this at all. Byakuya was creating such sensations for her and she wanted to return them. Managing to undo the pants she wrapped her fingers around his length, running the pad of her thumb against the head.

As Shinra moaned out, Byakuya's mind began to fill itself with Hisana's image to the point that it felt as though the woman beneath him were her. Those thoughts caused Byakuya to insert another finger and work even faster in order to achieve her climax. His erection had gotten to the point that it wouldn't swell much larger and he was fully hard in her hand, throbbing at her touch.

Shinra winced at the feeling of another finger and did her best to keep from voicing the displeasure at it. Things would get better soon, she was sure of it. She focused on working her hand along his length, hoping to pleasure him in a similar fashion. There was a strong urge to take him in her mouth but she was certain that could be for another time, right now they simply had to produce the child that he needed.

Thrusting her hips up at him a bit impatiently, she smeared her palm with his precum and brought it to her lips, licking it off and finding that the taste wasn't bad at all. It was salty and a bit musky, but it still had a good taste to it that she rather enjoyed. Giving a low moan, she attempted to sit up to kiss at his shoulder and neck squeezing at his hand and letting the other run along his back once more.

Byakuya eventually pulled his fingers out and licked them off, making her blush underneath him. He looked at her but he wasn't seeing Shinra, he was seeing Hisana. Shinra could tell from the look in his eyes that it wasn't exactly her that he was looking at. Although, Byakuya cuoldn't take it anymore, he removed what was left of his clothes and positioned himself between her legs and at her entrance. He slowly entered her, her walls already feeling too tight against him.

After the feeling of his fingers, the larger feeling of his cock was almost alien. He was far bigger than her small hand had suggested and maybe it was just the fact that it was her first time that made him seem to feel as big as her wrist was wide. He continued to move in her until he reached her barrier. He stared at her and waited for her to give him the approval.

Wrapping her legs around his waist, she nodded and tightened her hold on his hand, not completely certain that she wouldn't scream. The moment she nodded to him, he pushed forward and broke it, taking her innocence away. He immediately moved in to help her deal with the pain, planting kisses on her neck and face as he whispered sweet words to help her get used to it.

It was fast and painful and she couldn't stop clinging to him. Her nails were digging into his back and a sharp gasp had been wrenched from her throat as she arched, trying to get away from the pain. Byakua made a slight wince. No matter how many slashes or blows or ceros he took on, a woman scratching his back from the pain she felt was still painful. He moved in closer and effectively stopped her from moving away.

Shinra took the kisses and words, focusing on them before noticing that the pain was dwindling into a need to move. She bit at her lips before releasing them and catching his own, thrusting her hips up at him. Feeling her thrust her hips up to him, he started going slow and increased his pace

There was a pain in her chest though. She had heard once that sex with someone that doesn't love you is one of the most painful experiences one can have. Shinra was starting to believe in that.

She noticed his wince but there was little she could do about it now other than keep her hands in check. She ran her fingers over the area and let her blue reiatsu wash over his skin to heal it. He probably wouldn't even notice. She did feel that the pain dissolved as he moved in her, making her breathe harshly and move up against him to push him further inside. She was thoroughly convinced that he was going easy on her for this first time. Shinra could feel his hands moving all over her and she could feel a warmth building up, a pressure that was threatening to burst with each movement he made. If she thought about it too much, she would lose control.

Byakuya could tell from her frenzied movements that she was nearing her climax. He opened her mouth with his tongue and started to taste the insides of her mouth, makign her give a low whine into the kiss. Tasting him was just as ovewhelming as his continued movements and touches.

His hand let go of hers and joined his other hand in roaming along the expanse of her body, delicately avoiding her nipples as if denying their need to be touched in a teasing way. She moved back to clinging to him, her hips moving a bit more vigorously toward him. Clenching her teeth, she tried to keep from letting her body take control of the situation but it was incredibly difficult not to. A few more of his well placed thrusts caught her and she came hard, arching against him with a loud gasp of his name, her nails raking over his back once more. The feeling of her reaching her climax made Byakuya move faster, he continued for a few minutes until he was near his own. It wasn't until she tugged at his hair that he closed his eyes with a small gasp and came inside of her.

"Hisana..." He whispered, his head dropping onto her shoulder. Underneath him, she froze. Things had been fine up until that small murmur. She didn't say a word nor did she move to correct him. She had told herself earlier that she would simply have to deal with it if this were to happen. She had known he was married before so.. this was inevitable. She would have to get over it because he would never give up his ex-wife, Shinra was certain of it.

Feeling his seed in her and the kido respond to it, she knew what was happening and that he wouldn't have to worry about an heir after this. Instead of pushing him away, she simply hugged him, knowing that this would be one of the last few instances she would get to touch him so freely.

"Thank you," she whispered, burying her face in his neck and blinking the tears away.

Byakuya actually didn't know what he had said, but he felt that it wasn't good since Shinra was crying. He didn't know what to say or do at this point except hold her close to him and fall asleep with her in his arms. She was pregnant with their child now. Things were going to change from this point on. That was for certain.


	2. Chapter 2

Shinra was so tired when she fell asleep that all she could feel upon waking up was relief. Her father no longer had a hold on her and she would no longer have to deal with being treated as though she were a servant in her own home. It was freeing but restricting at the same time.

The next morning, she was silent. The room was still somewhat dark but she had become accustomed to waking up around the same time as Byakuya anyway in the short week she had been there. Pulling herself up from the bed, she got herself dressed and got his uniform and haori out. From what she understood, he would have to go back to the Division today and she was free to really do whatever.

She had Tomio, the servant for Byakuya and herself, make some tea for this morning while she waited for Byakuya to get up. Shinra had picked up Senbonsakura while she waited and examined the blade curiously, this being the first time she had ever seen it up close. It was beautiful. She vaguely wondered what its master would think about her holding it.

Further on in the bedroom, Byakuya felt himself waking up and finding Shinra was not with him. He reasoned to himself that she must have woken up before him. He got up and dressed himself and walked up, seeing his wife holding his Zanpakuto. She seemed rather interested in them all the time, usually examining any within her reach.

"Do you wish to become a Shinigami?" he felt himself ask.

Shinra jumped slightly, not entirely sensing him enough to know he was on the porch with her. She let the sword rest on her thighs before looking up at him and nodding. "I've thought about it before and studied some kido. I was created my own while my father wasn't around or when he wasn't paying any attention to me. I'm not certain if it would be a good idea for me to become one as I am at the moment," I answered.

The kido was simply named, it was of a non-elemental sort that was more like standard reiatsu bu it was powerful and she rather liked it. Shinra had heard Rukia reading a manga that Ichigo had brought from the human world and decided to use the word I had heard from her; Arcane. Really, she wouldn't have been able to defeat a Captain or Lieutenant but she could hold her own for a couple of seconds at the very least.

Byakuya stared at her and nodded at her response. She showed remarkable promise and talent to be one, in his opinion. Her skill in kido seemed almost natural for her, especially if she developed her own. It would normally take people decades to create a kido spell, yet she managed it in a shorter time. All the while hiding it from her father.

"After the baby is born, if you would like, you can come and train with Rukia. She can help you become a Shinigami," Byakuya said.

And there it was; the kindness that Rukia had told her about before. She smiled and nodded to him. "I would love that, actually. I've always been fascinated by the Kido Corps, perhaps something to aspire to will help me to be better for you," I said, not meaning anything negative by it.

It was then that a certain redheaded lieutenant landed on the porch with his sword drawn, attacking her but hitting her normal barrier as were the daily test. Shinra yelped loudly but laughed at him when she saw his frustration. "Dammit, woman! I'm never going to be able to burst through that, ya know!" he yelled, making her giggle lightly.

"That's right and you never will, I reinforced the barrier yesterday morning, so you can't just break it with a normal attack like that." Renji scowled playfully at her before glancing in her lap.

"What in the world do you have Senbonsakura for? You can't even fight with it," he pointed out. Obviously, she couldn't. Shinra rolled her eyes at him and shook her head.

"Perhaps one day, who knows?" Renji put Zabimaru away and slapped at her back with a laugh, making her pitch forward in surprise. Damn he was strong.

Meanwhile, Byakuya was confused. Better for him? Why would she need to do that, she was already fine as she was. Byakuya had no time to ask that when Renji burst in as he usually did and attacked the barrier that surrounded Shinra. Byakuya sometimes wished that Renji would stop doing that. One day she might not have the barrier up and seriously wound her even if he didn't mean to do so. The Captain knew that it would hurt Renji to do something like that without meaning to. Byakuya just abhorred when Renji acted like a complete idiot and pulled pranks, like the one he pulled in the wedding. He had half a mind to use his bankai on Renji for that.

Renji putting Zabimaru away and slapping Shinra's back like that made Byakuya sigh. "Renji, watch yourself. You don't strike a lady on her back like that, especially someone with your strength. Don't forget that is my wife that you struck, my pregnant wife. Show proper respect," Byakuya stated, giving him a small glare. Renji seemed to back off a bit after being glared at; he at least didn't try to hit her back again, so that was a plus.

"A lady? You didn't see this one when Rukia and I managed to get her drunk, did you? I swear, I thought I was in the room with a female Ikkaku for a few minutes," Renji said, making her blush before smacking him with Senbonsakura's sheath, the sword still inside. He huffed and rubbed at his chest before grinning. "What? It's true, Taicho would get a kick out of you when you're drunk, and I guarantee it."

Byakuya narrowed his eyes at Renji. Didn't see it? He was actually there that time. He was thinking about using the Level 90 Kido at Renji and his Bankai at him at the same time for that very reason. How dare he get her drunk and make her do such disgraceful things. He knew that Shinra couldn't hold her liquor like he could, and should have done a better job at watching her.

Shinra swatted him again, this time he used Zabimaru's sheath to block it. "It was more like you spiking the drinks, so I don't want to hear about it, Abarai," she countered, smirking before bringing the zanpakuto to her chest. I rubbed at the sheath where it struck his to make sure that it wasn't harmed too badly.

"So, mind if I borrow your wife for a bit?" Renji seemed to stop there until he must have realized how bad that sounded and continued. "Was gonna show her around the Division a bit unless you'd rather do so. I think Mayuri wanted to check on her reiatsu levels too, would probably be better to have Unohana do that though."

Byakuya bristled at the question before Renji corrected himself, his lieutenant being very lucky to have righted his words. "No need, I'll do it," Byakura answered, taking Shinra's hand and helping her up. To Shinra, he looked upset. She gripped the sword tightly to keep the man from attacking his lieutenant. Though he'd thought about it, he had no intention of attacking his lieutenant; however, Renji had to learn that there were some things that weren't to be said to a man like Byakuya. One would believe that the redhead would learn that after spending so many years with his captain. Apparently not.

Renji picked up on the impending danger and shunpo-ed off with a mutter mentioning seeing Rukia. Shinra stifled a laugh as Byakuya placed his hand at her lower back to steady her.

Shinra handed the sword over to him a bit reluctantly before going back into their room to change into a set of clothes that Rukia had wanted her to wear for a long time, a simple set of black and pink robes as opposed to her normal white kimono. Joining him once again, she renewed her barrier and took his hand once more. "This should be exciting. I've heard that Ichigo is still hiding from Kenpachi in the 6th's training rooms," she said, really just making conversation. "I apologize for getting drunk that evening. It took me far too long to realize what Renji had been up to."

Byakuya stared at her at her new clothes and said what he was thinking, "You look beautiful." Really she did. A person would be blind as to say otherwise. Byakuya knew that she was attempting to make a conversation with him, but he wasn't really good at that. Not anymore at least.

"It wasn't your fault. I should have paid better attention. The fault lied with me," Byakuya explained.

She blinked in surprise when he complimented her. "T-thank you," Shinra answered, taking it and valuing it. She knew he might have been thinking of Hisana again but she didn't mention it. To be jealous of a dead woman was simply ridiculous, but she could feel it. Smirking to herself, she decided to go with it. "You don't look too bad yourself, handsome."

Byakuya didn't respond to her flirting. He wouldn't stop her from it so he'd just go with it. Shinra did reason that he was her husband now, so she could openly flirt with him, right? She could and decided to do so until he told her to stop.

She smiled and shook her head. "Ah well, we'll be more careful around him in the future, especially now that I know what alcohol tastes like, it shouldn't be too difficult," she said, basically admitting that a lot of her firsts were with Byakuya or at least around him.

Hearing about her explanation made him understand that it was her first time with alcohol. She was experiencing many things now that she was with him. "Tell me... was your father always that kind of person?" he asked. It was random, yes, but he was wondering if he was truly such a cruel man as he had met him the first time.

Shinra grew silent when he asked about her father. There were many things she could tell him, experiences that no one should have to endure, but she didn't want him to pity her when there was no reason to do so. She had survived, hadn't she?

"For as long as I can remember, yes. The servants in the house used to tell me stories of how he used to be very similar to Ichigo, always wanting to help people and rescue them, but after my mother's suicide he was never really the same after that." The answer was to the point but she felt that there needed to be a bit more information.

When they headed for the division, she continued speaking. "I was nine when it became too much. He kicked open my door late one night after a failed test with my tutor and raised his fists upon me. I was thirteen when I finally started calling for help through self-mutilation. He saw through that after three years and forbade me to be around knives of any kind. There were several instances similar to the first one, the one you saw then we first met was incredibly watered down. Had we been alone, I would have received a right hook and possibly a shattered jaw. It's alright though; I've learned to use my kido abilities to heal the injuries."

Byakuya didn't know why, but he had many urges to go to her father and unleash his Bankai at him till he was reduced to a pile of torn flesh on the ground and his blood splattered all over the ground.

She didn't see it, but one of his hands became a fist that gripped so hard until his knuckle was white. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. "I see. Well, you no longer have to fear being with him. He can never harm you again," Byakuya assured.

Feeling herself being pulled closer to him, she looked up to him and smiled softly. It felt nice to be protected like this. "Thank you. In all honesty, I probably could have killed him at any time myself, but I could never do it. That's the strange thing about my kido; it never seems to work unless I mean it. Even then, it either heals or damages."

Shinra shrugged lightly and continued to smile, the sunlight starting to peak over the roofs of the buildings around them. "I've been working on a summoning contract with inter-dimensional beasts and looking to see if dragons ever existed in Seireitei at all. Might be a bit silly sounding, but who knows, I might start a new group of kido summoners," she said.

Byakuya nodded. She was indeed special. And there was also that fact that as much of a cruel man her father was, he was still her father nonetheless. He wouldn't have ever harmed his own father if he was anything like that and he had to strength to kill him.

"You have great potential, Shinra. I look forward to seeing you become a Shinigami. And..." he said and placed a hand on her stomach, "I wonder how our child will be like."

Great potential... She couldn't describe the happiness that soared through her at that statement and she knew that she would strive to be able to show that to him. Shinra was certain that she could still find a way to do this, pregnant or not. The libraries from her family estate had been brought here almost two days after she had arrived, so they were sitting along with Byakuya's family's library as well.

Shinra blushed horribly as he touched her stomach and the night before along with the name he called flooded her mind. She was desperate not to bring that up with him, she honestly didn't even know if he remembered saying it. "I wonder that as well. If Renji continues coming around, I can only imagine how lively they will be. Especially Rukia, I have the feeling that we'll be seeing more of Chappy than is deemed healthy," she said, laughing softly to herself.

Oh dear... Renji and Rukia were definitely going to want to spend time and probably do such unsightly things, like talking to the baby while it was still in her womb and so on, since Rukia was to be its aunt and Renji was... the godfather. Actually, Byakuya had a tiny desire to do the same thing as them. Byakuya still had a bit of his childish persona in him that he never uses anymore.

Seeing the division come into sight, Shinra smiled and waved at Renji as he poked his head out of the office window. She was willing to bet it was one of the first times he'd ever been in there before Byakuya. He was probably going to rib his Captain about it something awful.

-Mini timeskip…-

Byakuya was writing some documents for the Gotei 13. Honestly, how does so much damage happen in an incident like that? These Shinigami act as if money was water.

It had been about four months since he had married Shinra and she was now four months pregnant. She was showing it too. Rukia and Renji were really excited about it, being the aunt and godfather respectively. However, Byakuya noticed that Shinra had been acting rather... odd. Her mood swings, morning sickness, and weird cravings were there, but there was definitely something up with her.

Along with that, he felt different towards her nowadays, like he was caring for her more than he usually would. And not only that, but he felt the image of Hisana somehow... weaker. He didn't know what was happening, but it didn't seem right.

Sitting in the garden, Shinra ran her hand along her swollen stomach, smiling softly at the warm reiatsu to be found there. Renji had advised against being in the garden alone, fearful of hollows wandering in, but she was confident that the barriers would hold out. Rukia had helped her to develop her seals for the beginning of the summoning, but she had yet to talk to Mayuri about the dimensions that could be used.

Shinra was still a bit bitter. She continued to think back to the night of their wedding and she couldn't help but feel ridiculously inferior to Hisana. Around Byakuya, her moods became darker and a bit more withdrawn. Anything she needed or wanted to learn about him, she learned from Rukia and Renji, who were more than happy to tell her.

Sighing, she grabbed the practice sword that she had been given a few months ago and took it back to Byakuya's office, not really bothering to knock. I hadn't had to since my second month; he had gotten tired of me constantly asking permission. I guessed Hisana hadn't needed permission either. The dark mood became a bit darker as she laid the sword in its place, getting ready to leave the room without acknowledging his presence.

Shinra's sudden arrival to his office wasn't surprising. But her leaving without even talking to him, or even looking at him for that matter was. This was getting to be bothersome. Standing up, Byakuya went to her and reached out to grab her wrist.

"Shinra. Why haven't you been acting oddly towards me for the past few months? Have I done something to wrong you? Can you not tell me? I am your husband," Byakuya questioned. He prefers not to talk much, but this one wasn't something he could fix in a few words.

Shinra flinched when he grabbed her hand and had to remind herself, lest my reiatsu become defensive, that he was Byakuya and not her father. Hearing his questions, she honestly had no good answers, well not answers that he would want to hear. She readied myself and turned to face him.

"You haven't done anything wrong to me." Truthfully he had hardly done much of anything to her, she was just getting used to casually kissing him and doing her best not to jump him every time the wind blew the wrong way. "It should pass soon enough; I don't think that it's something to worry about." Shinra's reiatsu betrayed her right then, plummeting slightly as she remembered the whispered name in her ear.

"Do you remember what you said that night? Our wedding night. You said something that I'm not even certain that you remember. If you do, can you recall it?" she asked, feeling afraid for asking this of him. She didn't want him to hate her.

Byakuya wasn't satisfied by her answers at first, as it seemed to be more than something that would just "pass" by. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't spending as much time with her as she'd like him to. Byakuya felt her reiatsu drop all of a sudden. Something must be weighing heavily on her mind for her reiatsu to act like this. That was for certain.

Her question came as a surprise to him. That night? Truth be told, all he remembered was consummating his marriage with her and falling asleep after impregnating her. Was there something else? Did he actually say something? If so, what? He couldn't remember.

"No, I don't remember if I said anything. But if I did, what was it?" Byakuya asked. If she was asking this question to him, then no doubt that her actions now were because of what he said on that night,

Shinra's eyes narrowed and she wrenched her hand from his. "You will remember soon enough. It's really not that difficult to answer. I never thought that someone as talented and intelligent as you would be stymied by such a simple question," she growled, stepping away from him. Shinra headed for the door and felt Renji's reiatsu nearby. She wasn't in the mood to deal with his questions right now and spiked her reiatsu at him, feeling him move away for a moment.

Byakuya might be angry with me for using my reiatsu to attack his lieutenant even in a self-defensive way, but I was angry with both of them right now; Renji for no real reason and Byakuya because he had invoked such feelings of inferiority in me. I hated the thought of being less than someone else and I constantly felt that way when Hisana was brought up. Rukia had mentioned the girl once or twice and every time she had a difficult time not falling into a depression.

Something was definitely wrong; the way she snatched her hand away from his, the way she spoke about him, and the way she had even used her reiatsu to make Renji go away. It wasn't something that he'd ever expect her to do. Yes, she was pregnant, but again, this happened on their wedding night. What happened that was affecting Shinra this way now?

"I don't know what I said back then, but whatever it was... I'm sorry if I caused you pain for that," Byakuya apologized sincerely. He wanted to somehow assure her that he cared about her, but he didn't know how.

Hearing his apology only made things worse. Shinra turned to stare at him incredulously, rather furious that he still hadn't figured it out. "What happened to that intelligence of yours?! Suddenly it is gone with the fleeting wind, is it not?" She was treading on thin ice here, insulting him like this.

"I am not in pain, Byakuya! I am disappointed and feeling pressured by her. You say that name at night and cling to me as if I can somehow bring her back, but I can't. I simply do not have that kind of power." The hints were being thrown in his face now. Shinra glanced at his desk and nearly growled when she saw the picture of Hisana staring back at her. She couldn't control herself.

Shinra walked past him and headed for the porch. She needed to attack something. Her reiatsu was burning as she kept her eyes closed and sat on her knees in a Rune of Power, a lace-like circle under her, the reishi floating up to caress her skin gently, a stark contrast to my anger.

Maybe trying to apologize to her while not knowing the problem at hand wasn't the best idea. But he certainly understood now. Now he finally remembered what it was that he said that night. He didn't say her name then, he said Hisana's name, because he was seeing her instead of Shinra.

He let her walk right past him. Byakuya couldn't do anything this time. There was nothing he could say or do at this point. Was there?

A few minutes later and she was STILL angry. Getting up, she grabbed her research and decided to go ahead and start working on pulling from other dimensions. She could do it in the garden and just blunder through it. It couldn't be that dangerous.

Clutching the leather bound journal to her chest; she stopped before she reached the door and looked back to him. "I'm sorry I'm not good enough, Byakuya, but I will try to earn a place in your heart." She didn't want him to lose Hisana in his heart at all; she just wanted the same kind of love. Shinra already loved him even four months of only knowing him.

Shinra left the room and walked past Renji, who looked very confused and just a tad hurt. She shook my head at him when he tried to follow me and noticed him going to Rukia's room. Sighing in the gardens, she opened the rifts and started poking through the dimensions she could find, feeling the drain on my reiatsu a little more than usual. It was alarming how much was used just to open the rift.

Byakuya went back to his office and sat there, taking in all that has just transpired. What was he to do now? He loved Hisana, which that fact could never change, so... what was it that he felt for Shinra?

"Hisana... what do I do? I don't want to let you go, but what I feel for her is..." Byakuya trailed off. He felt the image of Hisana before him, and it seemed like she was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't make it out.

He wondered if things would be alright. Shinra was still carrying their child and it would be terrible if he was causing her to harm herself to the point that it would affect her and the child. He stood and ventured to Rukia's rooms, instructing Renji and Rukia to help keep an eye on Shinra's reiatsu levels.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Shinra's around seven months by now. I'm going by the experiences of my mother and a good friend of mine, no birth is the same as others. If there are issues with this, please PM me.

Shinra was sick more often than not. Pale and weak and the clan nobles noticed far too much for her liking. After she had exploded on Byakuya, she had done what she could not to bother him too much. Once the baby started moving though, she made sure that he could feel the child as many times and for however long that he wished. She wouldn't take that from him no matter how upset she was.

Her reiatsu had become a problem. It was so faint lately that she had almost passed out several times, many of those times she had been lucky that Renji had been there to grab her before she fell. Rukia and Renji had been wonderful to talk to and even though they told her not to worry, she still did. Under strict supervision of her husband, she was sitting nearby working on what she had found with Mayuri on the rifts. They were nearing a break through at the very least.

There was a painful twinge in her back and around her abdomen but she paid it little heed.

Byakuya had been thinking a lot during the last few months. Many times he had images and even dreams of Hisana, all of them being the same. She was trying to tell him something but he couldn't hear or make out what she was saying. Byakuya also noticed the condition Shinra was in and was genuinely concerned about her well-being. He was happy that she hadn't taken away the chances to feel his child moving within her.

However, when Rukia and Renji informed him of the times when she had her fainting spells, Byakuya decided to keep a stricter watch on her. He was with her now to make sure she didn't exert herself in any way that would cause harm to her or the baby. He was going to make sure that she got rest as soon as this was over with. She seemed like she was trying too hard.

Sitting there, she could feel another twinge coming on and she figured it was something completely unrelated. Obviously, she had never had a child before, so she was almost convinced that these were simply the false signs that Unohana had told me before. There was a tightening but the child wasn't moving right then. Shinra frowned and touched her stomach, a lazy roll getting her attention.

A few nights before, she had felt the baby lying sideways and had to manually turn him to get the sharp pains to subside. This didn't feel like that though. Her reiatsu spiked with the next pain and she had the strange urge to go and clean everything in their room. She had to do it. Standing, she tapped Byakuya's desk to let him know she would be leaving; she didn't like to interrupt him often.

"I need to go clean our room," she said, unable to fully explain the feeling.

Clean their room? Why did she need to clean their room? It confused him but Byakuya merely nodded, and followed her to help her out with it. No way was he going to let his wife clean the room all by herself. He would normally tell her to let a servant handle it, but he knew that she wouldn't like that at all. While he had the power to force her to obey him, he refused to do that. She was his wife, not his slave.

Even though she was dead tired today, she still went into their room and began cleaning everything. Literally everything. It took a good two hours until she got to the last piece and that was Senbonsakura and she was willing to bat Byakuya's hands away to clean that.

While she was cleaning their room, Byakuya was cleaning with her. They had a large room and it took a good two hours to clean, though Byakuya could have cleaned it much faster using his Shunpo.

Once that was finished, she sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. The feeling still wasn't going away and she knew that the room for the nursery was already spotless. Sitting there, she knew there was at least one place in this house that was always in need of being cleaned. "I need to clean something else," Shinra said, getting up, slightly dizzy, while she headed to the kitchen to clean in there.

When Shinra offered to clean something else, another sense of worry filled Byakuya. He decided to follow her once more to make sure she was safe.

They went to the kitchen and Byakuya paid extra attention now. This could have been one of the most dangerous places for Shinra if she wasn't careful. He would make sure that she was alright. After this was over, Byakuya would insist that she get some rest. It's not good that she overwork herself like this.

That room took the most time and in the middle of the three hours it took to clean and through cutting her palm on a knife, Rukia and Renji were recruited in her cleaning spree. She had heard of the term 'nesting' before and she hadn't really thought about it until she started heading for the mansion's front room.

"Um, Shinra, not to be a spoil sport here, but shouldn't you be resting right now? Your reiatsu is honestly crap right now," Renji said, glancing at Rukia who kept glancing at her brother. She didn't answer. She had a mission and getting this house clean was exactly that.

"Rukia, if you have things in your room you don't want found, I suggest hiding them before I make it to your room," she said, making the girl's eyes go wide as she grabbed Renji and ran off. Shinra knew of her relationship with Ichigo and that she desperately wanted to hide it from her brother right now.

Why was she doing this? It was beginning to be too much. She couldn't exert herself like this. It wasn't healthy. He glanced at Rukia when Shinra told her that she would go to her room later. What did Rukia have to hide exactly? He would check up on that later on.

Shinra started feeling faint as soon as she passed Byakuya's office door, having to lean on the wall for support.

The moment Byakuya saw Shinra feel faint and lean on the wall for support, Byakuya had enough. "That's enough, Shinra. I won't let you exert yourself like this," Byakuya stated. He went to her and reached out to pick her up bridal style and take her to their room. He wouldn't allow her to go anywhere at this point on.

Shinra sighed and gave up, the nagging feeling still there even as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Maybe she could talk him into letting her clean the bathroom again... She felt the twinges again and held on a bit tighter to him.

"I'm sorry, I just... I have to clean. I don't know why, but I have to," she said, her hands going to his hair. Maybe she could clean him? No, that would be too awkward considering the fact that her stomach would be in the way. "Could I at least clean the porch or something?"

"No!" Byakuya answered sternly as he entered their now clean room and placed her on their bed, "You are to not leave this room at all. You have been exerting yourself too far with all these cleaning you've been doing everywhere. It's not good for you or the child. And to make sure that you remain in the room, I shall stay here as well."

He laid next to her on the bed and kept a watch on her. She wouldn't be getting out of his sights.

Ugh, she was being babysat? Really? She wanted to giggle at the image of him babysitting her like this but she couldn't really find the energy to do so right then. Unable to keep herself from doing it, she moved closer to him and cuddled against his chest, feeling her reiatsu spike sharply when another pain hit her. Her lower back felt like someone had taken Zabimaru to it but she still said nothing.

It wasn't supposed to hurt like this so early, was it? "I could wash you, if that would be less strenuous," she suggested, feeling his gaze on her. It was a poor attempt to try to get this nagging feeling to go away. She thought about Hisana again and her reiatsu started to plummet, making her feel much more weak than normal, and the pain overtaking her small body.

Was she alright? She looked almost in pain...

"Shinra... are you alright?" Byakuya asked feeling her forehead on his to check her temperature. She felt a little feverish. "You need a doctor. You aren't well at all." Byakuya moved to get up and fetch a doctor for SHinra.

She grabbed for his arm and shook her head. "I'm fine, it was just where I was moving around so much for the past few hours," she said, having the feeling that her words weren't going to do much to deter him from chasing a doctor down.

Just as she was halfway to sitting up, she felt her remaining reiatsu start to grow unstable to the point of collapsing back on the bed. She wasn't fainting, she knew that, Shinra could still see and hear, probably speak, but she had nothing to say right then. She felt Renji and Rukia nearby and she could feel the 6th's lieutenant coming toward them swiftly.

"Captain? Is she alright?" he asked, knocking on the door. Renji felt more like a brother than anything else to her.

"Renji! Rukia! Get a doctor immediately," Byakuya shouted at them through the door, sending them immediately to find one. She looked back down on his wife.

"Shinra, try to relax. I can tell that you're in pain. The doctor will be here soon," he assured. The way it was happening, Byakuya couldn't help but fear that worst.

Renji was the one that left; Rukia managed to peek through the door and went pale immediately. Shinra had the feeling from Renji's far-off reiatsu that he was heading for the 4th while Rukia was trying to gather the clan healers.

She hated seeing fear in Byakura's eyes. Seeing that made her wonder just how bad off this really seemed. She could barely move, but she did reach for his hand at the very least. "I'm sorry I was so awful that day in your office," she murmured, smiling sadly. Shinra didn't know why she was apologizing, she was certain she had done so before many times.

For a second, she couldn't sense Renji, but it seemed that he had found someone since he was in the process of heading back so quickly. "Should have told you sooner, I love you," Shinra said, gritting her teeth at the feeling of her stomach tightening horribly. Oh... those hadn't been false signs earlier. This was really happening but with her reiatsu so low... This was going to be very stressful.

Byakuya immediately had the doctors take her to the nearest hospital. He could have taken her there in an instant with Shunpo, but such a thing was said to be harmful to the baby. When the doctors examined her, they confirmed his fears. The baby was coming. But it was too soon. She still had another two months at least. Could it be... that he was the reason this happened?

They took her to the hospital and Byakuya followed till it was in the emergency room where he was forced to wait. He hated that. His wife was having their child too soon and he was forced to being stuck here while she suffered.

All of a sudden, Byakuya felt himself in the inner world of his own mind. It was similar to the inner world of his Zanpakuto, but slightly different. Behind him was Hisana, whom he was able to sense.

"... Hisana..." Byakuya said wide eyed. She smiled at him and said nothing. He stepped closer to her.

"Why... why don't you speak to me? Do you hate me?" he shook her head at that.

"So why? Why do you not speak to me any longer?" With that, Hisana pointed a finger at him, or rather, what was behind me. He turned and saw an image of Shinra.

"You're not alone anymore, Byakuya..." Hisana said, "You felt it, didn't you? Just as she said that she loves you... you love her."

What did she say? Byakuya... loves her...?

Hisana stepped closer to him and embraced him from behind.

"I am happy that you didn't wish to let me go, but you cannot be trapped in your past any longer. You have a future with her now. So live that life, not just for me, but for her and the child that you have with her."

Byakuya leaned his head down, his eyes were shadowed, but a tear had rolled down his cheek, "Hisana... I will always love you... but now... I think I can move on... thank you..."

With that, Hisana's image vanished from him completely. She would always be in his heart, but now he had someone else to love. Shinra...

Lying there, she found that she couldn't move. Unohana was over her and saying something but she couldn't make out what it was. Someone nearby was poking her shoulder with a needle until she could no longer feel anything. Then pressure, someone was pulling at her insides, yanking something out. The baby? No! It was far too soon! Shinra screamed and arched, trying to get them to stop but my body wouldn't move at all.

By that point, they had pulled the tiny child from her; put it in what looked like a small cot away from her. She was shivering and unsure of what she could do when she could feel the hands in her stomach again. Faintly, she realized she was crying and murmuring Byakuya's name despite the soft cooing of Hanataro, who was trying to calm her down.

Her reiatsu was at an all-time, dangerous low and she fell asleep, hearing screaming monitors.

It was much later that she woke up, her body aching as she opened her blue eyes to look around at a darkened room. Shinra wasn't sure if she were alone or not right then, but she was tired and very weak, several different I.V.s and monitors attached to her body as she tried to sit up.

Remembering what had happened; she tried harder and began pulling at the needles, my hands shaking. She had to get up. She had to find her baby.

Byakuya had waited in the room for Shinra to wake up, sitting beside the bed. The moment she did, it wasn't good. She was already trying to pull out the needles out of her. Byakuya rushed to her side and tried to stop her.

"Shinra, stop. You shouldn't do that! You're still weak after that," Byakuya stated, trying to calm her.

After what? She grasped at his hands and still tried to get up, crying out at the feeling of pain radiating from her stomach. Shinra had forgotten about being cut open like that.

Instead of moving further, she gasped harshly to breath, holding onto his hands like a life line. "Where? Where's the baby?" she asked, panicking. Shinra didn't know if it were alright and she wasn't' even all that sure if the baby even survived, but she wanted to know. Now.

With her words, Byakuya gave her something he had never shown her before. He smiled, "Come look."

He gently helped her get up and led her to a window that showed the room that had their name "Kuchiki" on it.

"There's our child, Shinra..." Byakuya stated,

That smile... It was enough to almost knock her out again. She continued with my hold on him, surprised that She was able to walk alongside him despite being so weak. There in the small cot was a child bundled up and looking around the brightly lit room. She looked to Byakuya before glancing back in awe.

"Is it a boy or a girl? What did you name them?" she asked, unable to take her eyes off of the small person in there. All bitterness she had previously over him holding Hisana in such a high position vanished as she stared at the little gift he had given her.

"It's our daughter, Shinra. As for names... I was wondering if you would like to name her. But before that, I want to tell you something," Byakuya said, facing her.

"On our wedding night, when we consummated, I had hurt you by saying Hisana's name instead of yours. The truth was that I couldn't let go of my feelings for her. It was hard, for I truly loved her. However... during the time I spent with you, I began to feel something for you as well, and I was confused. But now I know. I will always love Hisana, which will never change, but... I have finally let go of her and have moved on, for I found new love. What I am saying is... Shinra... I love you..." Byakuya declared.

Name her? Shinra bit at her lip and turned to listen to what he had to say. She was stunned almost to the point of falling when she heard what he said. Shinra could barely control herself but she latched onto him, hugging him tightly. That was all she wanted was a spot near Hisana. "I love you too," she whispered, kissing his cheek softly.

Shinra turned her sight back to their dark haired daughter and watched her for a moment, her eyes flickered to her parents and Shinra couldn't help but smile. Her attention on them and his words had made Shinra slightly weepy. "How about Aika?" she asked, wanting his opinion as well.

Byakuya held Shinra close to him, so that she wouldn't fall and because he wanted her close to him. Byakuya turned to see her and smiled.

"It's a beautiful name. And our daughter is beautiful, just like her mother," Byakuya stated. Once the doctor gave the okay for both her and their baby, he intended to spend an entire night to make love to her for once. They consummated, yes, but this time would be different.

Shinra blushed at the compliment and smiled back at him, still a bit dazed by how much younger he looked when smiling. She loved it. "Thank you. You should smile more often, you look amazing when you do," Shinra stated, glancing back at Aika and biting her lip. She wanted to hold her daughter. She doubted that she would be able to do so if she were so weak like this though.

"Did you hold her? How small is she?" Shinra asked, the unasked question of her health underlining it. She knew that my cleaning spree hadn't helped in keeping Aika and herself healthy at the end and I knew I had given them a right scare with that.

Byakuya didn't lose his smile. The last time he was ever able to smile like that was with Hisana and Rukia, and that was it. However, her unasked question about their daughter made the smile drop a little, because Byakuya knew the question was there.

"I have held her. And she was rather small due to being born premature. It was actually originally in bad shape at first and there was a high chance that she would have perished. However, she managed to pull through," Byakuya explained.

Then a doctor arrived in the next room and took Aika out of her small bed and took her to their hospital room.

"Would you like to hold her, Lady Shinra?" the doctor asked.

Premature... Shinra was certain that it was her fault. If she hadn't been so caught up in trying to win his heart, then she would have taken better care of herself and Aika. Shinra hated herself for putting her daughter in such danger when there was no need for it. It felt wrong. "I'm sorry. When we have another, I will be certain to take better care throughout," she said the blame solely on her.

"Don't. It was my fault. I was the one to have hurt you, and caused you to deal with the pain. If anything, the blame lies solely with me," Byakuya reasoned, but also smiled again, "So you would like to have more children?"

No, she wouldn't allow him to believe that. She was the one nonverbally asking him to give up a love he had held onto for decades, she was completely unreasonable. "I could have handled it better," Shinra countered, then smiled softly. "I- Yes, I would if that's okay with you."

When the woman asked, Shinra nodded immediately and tried to follow on her own. Her knees felt like they kept banging together and she had to hold on to things to move toward the room. Vaguely, she recognized Renji and Rukia's reiatsu in the area but she was far too preoccupied in feeling Aika's tiny spirit. The doctor helped her to sit and placed Aika in her arms. Shinra's eyes were glued to her. She could see a lot of Byakuya in her and looked to him, smiling widely. "Just as beautiful as her father is handsome."

As Shinra tried to reach her baby, Byakuya assisted her as well, when she held Aika in her arms; it seemed like the perfect picture. Byakuya leaned on to her and wrapped his arm around her and one of his hands to touch Aika's delicate face.

"She has your eyes..." Byakuya said. She was sleeping now, but Byakuya had managed to see Aika's eyes before when he first held her.

She watched the baby give a tiny squirm at her father's touch and couldn't hold back the smile even if she wanted to. "For now, yes, but they might turn colors as she gets older," Shinra said, content with simply watching her. For now, they were alone with her, it was better than being crowded.

Shinra was curious though... "Aren't males the only ones allowed to be heirs?" she asked. If they were, then she was kind of excited at the idea of trying for a boy, which meant that she would have the opportunity to have more of his children. Was it wrong to be excited about that? She didn't think it was.

So this is what it felt to be a father... Byakuya had once dreamed of having a child with Hisana, but she passed on before that could happen. However, he was with a woman he loved that now gave him what he wanted, a child.

"I believe so. But we have plenty of time. I intend to ask permission from the Gotei 13 to take some time off and spend it with you. Renji will take lead while I'm gone. I want to spend this time I have with you, Shinra," Byakuya stated.

Time off? That sounded very nice to be honest. "That would be wonderful. I'm glad that you trust Renji enough to let him take the lead like that," Shinra said, knowing that it wasn't often that Byakuya let anyone do anything on their own.

"Another good thing is that the house is at least clean after my little spree, hm?" Shinra made light of how she had been moving around so vigorously earlier in the week. She knew it had worried him that she was so insistent on cleaning the house earlier. She hadn't meant to worry him but I had to do it.

Byakuya sent a small glare to her before kissing his daughter and wife. "I suppose but it would do you well to listen for once," he said, referring to Renji's past suggestion from that day. Shinra giggled and kissed him back, content to watch their daughter sleep in her arms.


End file.
